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Monday, 25 October 2010

Before moving to University, I was thinking a lot about what my new surroundings would be like - especially my new room! I was half dreading the idea of leaving my comfortable space at home for a small boxy room in university halls, and half ready to embrace the challenge of decorating this new blank canvas.

Trying to jazz up such a small space when you're a) not allowed to paint the walls, and b) not allowed to hammer anything into the walls, was a difficult proposition, but I was lucky enough to be given a book about retro caravan interior design by my boyfriend for my birthday, and it has proven to be quite an inspiration! The book, My Cool Caravan, is filled with eyewateringly beautiful caravans decorated to reflect the owners' unique tastes - with the end result of a book containing both immaculate examples of the ever popular shabby chic trend, and slightly more unusual design concepts- one Frieda Kahlo inspired caravan was particularly attention grabbing!

I'd completely recommend the book for any lover of retro-inspired design - or indeed any university student who is in a bit of a quandary about how best to leave their own stamp on what can be a very small and oppressive space. The book has little design tips throughout, as well as hundreds of photos by the talented Hilary Walker (I would show you them but I don't want to break copyright laws!) and a nice little paragraph about the history of each caravan. Just a warning though: you will end up wanting to buy a caravan after reading it!

So... here are a few snippets of my university room so far! The photo at the top of the page is of a cushion cover I made from offcuts from previous sewing projects. Working to the colour scheme of blue and green, I selected materials with similar sized patterns in order to make a subtley matching cushion that adds a little homeliness to my space. The cushion filler was about 79p from Ikea!

Cheating slightly with these fake roses, but I think they're charming all the same, and add a nice pop of vibrancy to my bed side table. The vase was 10p at a carboot, and the roses were 3 for £1 on the local market.

Some friendly faces and... a cactus in a teacup. As you do.

This poster is possibly my favourite part of the room. It's an old school educational poster from the 40s (to the best of my knowledge) and its just oh so cute! I found it on ebay for under £10 - best purchase ever!

I've chosen quite a bold patterned duvet cover, seeing as its the only major thing I can change about the colour of the room. I absolutely love it - and for only £3 in a charity shop, you can't go wrong :).

﻿I hope you've enjoyed my little tour-de-la-chambre! What do you think of it? Are any of you facing similar small-space design dilemmas?

Sunday, 17 October 2010

To those of you who didn't win, don't forget that Max C are also offering a free top to anyone who buys a Max C coat or jacket - simply email Max C quoting 'SADIE'S TOP OFFER' and your order number, with the e-mail title 'SADIE'S TOP OFFER'. Write down three tops of your choice in ranking order with size and colour details, and Max C will post out according to availability. Offer ends on the 31st October.

Max C are also giving away tickets and vouchers to next weekend's Britain's Top Model Live! Add them on Facebook for more details!

Friday, 8 October 2010

As an extra special treat, Max C are offering TWO lucky readers the chance to win the dress and blouse that I posted about recently. Yes - thats two items each!

The bird print dress has been spotted on the likes of Sophie Ellis Bextor and has a very flattering fit, nipped in at the waist and a cute sweetheart neckline. Perfect for a modern take on this season's Mad Men style!

And the blouse is made from delicate chiffon, ideal for tucking into highwaisted skirts, or just over jeans on a lazy day. I'm hoping to wear mine to an office internship!

The lucky winners can choose their size and the colour of their items - the blouse comes in brown, white or black, and the dress in black, red or blue.

Competition Now Closed!

So, how do you enter?All you need to do is pop over to the Max C website, and leave a comment back on this blog post naming your favourite item in the online store (as well as leaving contact details - email address or a link to your own blog). The competition closes at midnight on Friday 15th October! I'll pick the winner using a random number generator. Simple!The competition is open to UK residents only.

Good luck! xxx

P.S. Max C are also offering a free top to anyone who buys a Max C coat or jacket - simply email Max C quoting 'SADIE'S TOP OFFER' and your order number, with the e-mail title 'SADIE'S TOP OFFER'. Write down three tops of your choice in ranking order with size and colour details, and Max C will post out according to availability. Offer ends on the 31st October.

Saturday, 2 October 2010

I'm channelling a bit of a 50s/Mod mixture with this outfit, again courtesy of Max C! This is the last in the series of outfits - it has been great being their blogger of the month!

I can't decide which of these two items is my favourite - the jacket or the dress. The dress will certainly be useful for nights out at uni (I had a wardrobe crisis last night and just couldn't find anything to wear). It's in a classic Max C 'bird print' - cute but sophisticated.

The jacket conforms quite well to my mod style tendancies - but the necktie adds a great feminine edge, making it perfect for many occasions! It's a great transitional piece :).

I'm back on Monday with a giveaway for this dress!!!!!!!!!!! As well as the brown spotted shirt from a previous post... so don't forget to check back!

Sorry my blog posting has been a bit slow recently - I've been settling in at uni and have barely been on the internet!